A lesson in Magical Contracts
by jjslll54
Summary: I've always wondered why the Goblet of Fire would be needed to pick champions based on names. A hat could be used for that. Since a magical contract is included here is how it should be done.


AN: Just something I came up with after reading someone Else's story about the tournament. Standard disclaimer applies.

**A lesson in Magical Contracts**

Harry and Hermione walks into the Great Hall for dinner hand in hand as they have been doing more and more often since the ride on Buckbeak last year to the ire of the youngest Weasley siblings. Tonight is the night for the draw of the champions for the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Since discovering the method to be used for the draw the couple went into research mode to figure out how the cup worked. This is Halloween after all and Harry has never had a Halloween go by that something didn't happen to him. First year was when Harry saved Hermione from the troll while Ron waited by the door. Second year Mrs. Norris was petrified and then later Hermione got petrified by the monster from The Chamber of Secrets. Third year Sirius Black slashed the portrait entrance to the Gryffindor common room. This year, as soon as the Tri-Wizard tournament was announced, Harry and Hermione just knew his name would come out of the Goblet of Fire. They had done their homework though so they were ready. After dinner when the clock struck eight o'clock and the chimes from the clock tower subsided, the blue flame in the goblet started to flare up.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Headmaster Dumbledore announces," The cup is about to select the first champion."

Everyone leans forward in anticipation when the cups fire turns the green of acceptance for the champion's name it has chosen and flares up spitting out a powder blue strip of parchment. Professor Dumbledore catches it before it hits the ground.

"The champion from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic is Fleur Delacour."

Everyone gives a round of applause for the girl as she steps up to the head table to stand with her Headmistress. The cup flares green again and spits out the second strip of parchment.

"The champion from Durmstrang Institute of Magic is Vickor Krum."

The cheers ring out from everyone with the Durmstrang students chanting, "Krum, Krum, Krum."

Victor walks up to stand by his headmaster after being congratulated by him with a hand shake. The goblet flares green a third time.

"The champion for Hogwarts School of witchcraft and Wizardry is Cedric Diggory."

All of Hogwarts cheers for their champion which was a little louder than the others since there were more students present. He walks up to stand by McGonagall since Dumbledore is MC.

"There you have it," Dumbledore says," We now have our three champ…."

Everyone now has their eyes back on the cup as it was doing something strange. The fire in the cup is flaring higher and higher as if it is fighting against something before it turns red and spits out a forth piece of parchment. The fire returns down to its normal height but stays burning a fierce red of protest in anticipation of exacting justice. Professor Dumbledore looks at the fire warily and walks over to the parchment on the floor and picks it up with trepidation in his eyes. This told Harry and Hermione he had nothing to do with whomever's name was on that parchment. Dumbledore opens it up it up and reads.

"Harry Potter," quietly in disbelief and then louder," HARRY POTTER."

Harry and Hermione stand up to answer the headmaster and when Harry starts to say something when he is interrupted.

"This little boy?" Fleur sniffs and sticks her nose up in the air haughtily.

"Impossible," Headmaster Karkaroff from Durmstrang protests.

"He's a cheat," Ron Weasley yells out with others nodding in agreement.

Not being able to hold his jealously in any longer he continues," He always gets what he wants. He just wants more fame and glory. He's already taken my girl from me and now he's going to get the thousand galleons too."

Everyone in the hall looks at Ron like he has a third arm growing out of his head. Harry and Hermione just can't believe their ears and give their supposed best friend a dirty look. Professor Dumbledore walks over to Harry.

"Did you put your name in the goblet?" he asks.

"No sir," Harry answers.

"Did you ask an older student to do it for you?"

"Why would I risk an older student's magic over something as petty as wanting to be in this tournament?" Harry answers," That would be beyond cruel."

"You're lying," Ron shouts," You're just trying cover for whoever you bribed to put your name in."

"Oh do shut up Ronald," Luna Lovegood says from the Ravenclaw table as she stands," You're just embarrassing yourself. No one cares what you have to say. Let Harry speak for himself."

While the children are arguing Professor Dumbledore is thinking about Harry's answer and starts to get a smirk on his face as understanding sets in.

"What?" Professor McGonagall who has walked over to the pair asks quietly.

"You'll see," he answers," I think I understand something now I have been puzzling on for a while."

The twins had by then got up and put a clamp on their brother's big mouth, forcing him to sit down.

"Thank you Luna," Harry says with a nod in her direction," By the way, not to brag or anything but our Luna Lovegood has the highest IQ ever in the history of this school. She is two points above my lovely Hermione here and that's saying something. You Ravenclaws should keep that in mind when you go about stealing her things."

"Thank you Harry," Luna says with a blush on her face as she sits back down.

"You welcome Luna," Hermione says," Anything for a friend."

"Friends," Luna whispers to herself and then gets the biggest smile ever.

"As I was saying Professor Dumbledore," Harry continues," Why would I risk an older student's magic over something as petty as wanting to be in this tournament? No offense to the true champions of each school. First I will prove that I didn't enter. You pure-bloods and magically raised will understand what I am about to do."

Several gasps come from around the room when he says that. Magical oaths are not to be trifled with nor spoken lightly. Harry pulls out his wand and points it towards the enchanted ceiling.

"_**I Harold James Potter-Pendragon swear on my life and my magic that I did not put my name in the Goblet of Fire. Nor did I foolishly ask an older student to put my name in for me. I have no desire whatsoever to participate in this tournament and never have. So I say, So mote it be." **_

Professor Moody looks up sharply at Harry when he says his legal name and then slumps in his chair.

A flash of white left the end of Harry's wand, blinding everyone in the process and enters his body which then glows a bright white. When the light dies down and everyone can see again they see Harry is still standing. He points his wand out towards an open area in front of the students.

"Expecto Patronum," Harry says quietly and a very large golden stag emits from the end of his wand to canter around in front of the head table.

"Expecto Patronum," Hermione incants as she walks up to Harry and puts her arm through his. A large golden doe emits from her wand and walks up to the stag where they nuzzle noses before fading from site.

Everyone is now staring at the couple with wide eyes. They had never seen them do magic like that before. They had never seen anyone do magic like that before. A standard patronus is about a fourth the size of what they have just seen and then only a very few witches or wizards could produce a corporeal one.

"Okay Harry," Cedric jokes," How about we just give you and Hermione the trophy and just let the rest of us party with our new friends for the rest of the school year."

The other two champions are nodding agreement to that statement as well. Everyone was awed beyond speech.

"Unfortunately Cedric," Hermione says," We couldn't let you do that. You three are bound by a magically binding contract to compete in the tournament since you willingly entered and were chosen."

"So are you," someone yelled out.

Harry and Hermione smirk to each other she gives a nod to Harry.

With a wave of his hand Harry conjures a lectern large enough for him and Hermione to stand behind which also raises them high enough so everyone can see them. Dumbledore just keeps nodding to himself and smiling at everything he is witnessing. The students are beginning to realize that there is more to Harry and Hermione than they were letting on.

"Let me ask a question or two before I reveal what our research on the cup discovered." Harry starts out," First question is to the Weasley twins. What happened when you tried to put your name in the cup?"

Fred stands up to answer," Our parchments were spit out right away and we grew long beards like Professor Dumbledore's. We even took and aging potion hoping that since our seventeenth birthday is only six months away we could get in. We were hoping for the chance at the thousand galleon prize so we could open a joke shop when we graduate."

"Thank you Fred," Hermione says," Don't worry. If you show us you can study hard and get at least five NEWTS at EE or better we will front you the money for your shop as a reward. You can pay us back when you become successful."

The twins stand up and do a little jig to everyone's amusement.

"You have our word Hermione," They chant together.

"The second question is for Draco Malfoy," Harry says looking over at him.

"Yes Sire?" He asks.

"You and Pansy Parkinson are betrothed. Isn't that correct?"

"Yes Sire," Draco answers wondering where this is leading.

"Who set this up for you?" Harry asks," I'm asking for the edification of the first generation witches and wizards that didn't grow up in magical society."

"Our parents did when we were little," Draco answers catching on now," They each signed a magical contract with a blood quill to seal the deal."

"Did you and Pansy sign too?" Hermione asks.

"Well," Draco says," we were only two at the time but it wouldn't have mattered. You have to be of age to be able to legally sign a magical contract and have it be binding. They can't be forged either."

"Thank you Draco," Hermione says," **_They can't be forged_**. That is the key. This means that an unscrupulous person cannot sign your name to a contract and have it be binding because magic itself is what does the binding. If your name was Mary Smith and you signed the contract John Doe, magic would still recognize you as Marry Smith no matter what name you signed. Of course if you did that in front of a goblin you'd probably lose your head."

Everyone laughs a little nervously at that statement. Even the teachers and ministry officials are paying close attention to what is being said. Some of the adults understood this but most of the general populous does not as they generally don't deal with contracts in their daily life. That what solicitors are for.

"Okay," Harry continues," Now we get down to the meat of why we are standing here talking to you and seemingly dragging this out, probably boring some of you to death."

Not one student or teacher took their eyes from him. Every one of them are hooked.

"The Goblet of Fire was chosen to be the picker for our champions for a reason." Hermione explains," If we just wanted to pick a random name from each school we could have used a separate hat for each school and had a first year draw the name of the champion. The Goblet of Fire was built specifically for this type of contest by the founders of Hogwarts. Like the school and the sorting hat, the Goblet is a sentient entity and understands its duties thoroughly."

The goblet flares up in response to her statement to the surprise of everyone else. Hermione nods to the cup and continues.

"If the cup could be fooled that easily someone could have entered Mrs. Norris's name in the cup as a prank. For those of you that are visiting; Mrs. Norris is our Mr. Filch's familiar. She's a cat. Now to get on with it, everyone here has a magical signature. Your magical signature is unique to you and you only, just like you fingerprints. For you people that never go into the non-magical world the swirly lines on the ends of your fingers are like you magical signature to a non-magical policeman or Bobby. They can be used to identify you if you've committed a crime or done something illegal. What everyone doesn't seem to get is the Goblet of Fire may be sentient, but it is blind. It has no eyes, it can't read. The names are only needed for us to read when the parchment is chosen. What the Goblet of Fire can and does do is sense the magical signature of the person that put their name in the cup. Your magical signature tells the goblet everything about you. Are you a studious person? Are you brave? Do you have strong enough magic for the tasks scheduled for you? Each of you were picked because you are the strongest and bravest of all the students from your school that entered their names. Unfortunately in the past when school populations were much lower the goblet was forced to pick the strongest student from each school anyway and sometimes they either weren't strong enough in magic or intellect and got themselves killed in this tournament. So you three please, please stay safe and watch yourselves as you go through the tasks. Whoever entered my Harry's name in the cup is the one that will have to compete or lose their magic as the cup sensed that persons magical signature as a non-student of the three schools entered into the tournament and a supposed student of a fourth school."

"By the way Professor Dumbledore," Harry asks," What school name is written there under my name?"

Professor Dumbledore looks down at the parchment and waves his wand over it as the name was not visible. The name appears and he looks up in surprise.

"Bedford Academy."

"But that is the name of the preschool I went to when I was five." Harry exclaims," It's not even a magical school. It was more like a daycare that Aunt Petunia dropped my off at when she had to do shopping and didn't want me underfoot. Now you see Ronald. If you've been paying attention, you could not have entered the tournament because you are under age the same as me and if you had gotten someone older than you to do it for you they would have had to compete in your place anyway if your name had come out or lose their magic, which you would have been responsible for."

Having grown up in the magical world and not knowing any other way of life, Ron shudders at the thought of being responsible for someone losing their magic because of him.

"I'm sorry Harry," Ron says," I wasn't thinking."

"That's your problem Ron," Hermione says," You don't think before you say things and then it is too late to take the words back. We will forgive you for now but we can't be your friend like before until you earn our friendship back with your actions. You are here to learn magic like the rest of us and if you need help studying we will help you, but I will no longer do your work for you."

"Let's hear it for the Tri-wizard champions," Harry calls out to take the attention away from an embarrassed Ron.

The crowd roars out in thunderous applause for the champions and for the best lesson on magical contracts ever heard in Hogwarts.

Professor Moody just slumps further in his chair wondering what his master will do when he finds out.


End file.
